New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline - Ministry of Health

Part 5: Living in the community
• flexibility of commencement of further
education or work, so that the person can
become familiar with the environment and
new demands, whilst not being overloaded
• anticipation of problems and creative problem
solving (eg, of how to manage timetables,
spare time, the social demands of further
education or the workplace) 39 344-346 349 350 .
5.1.b Further (post-compulsory)
education
Further education should be an option for
all people, regardless of ability or disability
(Recommendation 5.1.3). In fact, improved
post-compulsory education options for all
disabled people is a significant action listed
in the New Zealand Disability Strategy 351 .
Nevertheless, people who are different
sometimes experience barriers when trying to
access further, post-compulsory education 350 ,
and, in the past, the educational options and
262 348
outcomes for people with ASD were poor
352
. Over recent years, as ASD has become more
readily diagnosed and better managed and
supported within schools, educational outcomes
have improved 352 . Improvement may also be
related to legislative changes in many parts of
the world that recognise and support the rights
of people with a disability to self-empowerment
and participation in all aspects of society 262 348 351 .
People with ASD do have the potential to have
successful and satisfying experiences in further
education, regardless of their intellectual level 348 .
The chances of this are enhanced with careful
planning and attention to ASD-specific issues
(Recommendation 5.1.2). Symptoms of ASD that
may have significant impact in further and postcompulsory
educational settings and should be
considered in the planning process include:
• problems making friends and maintaining
friendships, causing possible social isolation
and difficulty working in a group
• lack of initiative, and lack of or failure to use
self-help and independence skills
• low self-esteem and poor self-confidence
• peculiar use of language (eg, unduly dull
speech, monotonous voice, over-precise
grammar and vocabulary, using complex
words without fully understanding their
meaning)
• literal understanding of language
• intense interest in select topics, and resistance
to changing an area of study
• unawareness of the needs and emotions of
other students or education staff or both
• insistence on routine and sameness, and
intense overreaction to change
• poor non-verbal communication (eg, limited
facial expression, inappropriate eye contact,
lack of understanding of sarcasm or irony)
• clumsiness, poor coordination and gross
motor skills, ungainly movement, difficulty
mastering practical skills
• unrecognised onset of co-morbid mental
health problems 39 353 (Recommendation 5.1.4).
Aspects of post-compulsory and tertiary
education environments can complicate
transition into these settings, especially for
people with ASD 40 348 354 . Further education
settings can be large, crowded and noisy. Within
them, people often move from one room to
another. Verbal communication is a predominant
means of teaching, and sessions can vary in
form, from traditional lectures by teaching
staff, to student-led seminars, laboratory and
fieldwork and informal experiential or tutorial
groups (Recommendation 5.1.4). Changes
within the services provided by some of the
post-compulsory and/or tertiary educational
organisations across New Zealand reflect their
shared responsibility to people with ASD to
maximise the chances of successful educational
experiences. New Zealand universities and
polytechnics have student service departments
through which students can access a wide
range of support, ranging from study skills and
counselling to note-taking and examination
assistance (Recommendation 5.1.5). Information
Part 5
New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline 167